


Maybe, For Now

by kuhleesi



Series: Hiraya One Shots [10]
Category: Karanduun (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: F/M, i had to physically stop myself from making this any longer, meaning this is just tala once again being too idealistic and naive, we keep in mind that this is third person limited pov
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:49:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27595067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kuhleesi/pseuds/kuhleesi
Summary: What happened in Oratihon that made Tala choose Reza?
Relationships: Reza/Tala, Rezala
Series: Hiraya One Shots [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1900120
Kudos: 4





	Maybe, For Now

**Author's Note:**

> Song for the Fic: Heaven by Julia Michaels

“Miss Dizon.”

“Mr. Awitan.”

There was a wicked grin on Reza’s face, as though he was a cat playing with a mouse before it was about to go in for the kill.

“Awfully brave of you to be here on your own. Do you have some kind of death wish?”

“Mr. Awitan, we both know if you wanted to kill me, I’d be dead already.” Was Tala’s response.

His grin widened, “And yet you come anyway.”

“I wouldn’t if it wasn’t important.”

“Oh?” Reza’s left leg draped over his right knee as he leaned back in his luxurious arm chair, his elbows resting on the armrests while he crossed his fingers and peered at her with an amused expression.

Tala looked at the two henchmen standing on either side of Reza. One was too busy tapping away at their anting-anting to really pay any attention to the conversation, the other was wearing a baseball cap with a messy suit. Tala knew Reza was perfectly capable of defending himself, and that the goons were simply there to be intimidating. A for effort in trying to intimidate her, though.

“You do know that they literally would not be able to touch me unless I want them to, right? Your followers don’t scare me.”

She didn’t know what had possessed her to be so brave, but after the shit the Hiraya had been through, a very handsome man in a suit was no longer as scary to her as he used to be, and this time Reza could tell she meant what she said.

Duran’s little Odto finally had some bite to go with her bark. Good. Because she wouldn’t have her friends to hide behind now.

“So why are you here, Tala?”

Ah, shit. It was fine when he used her last name, but her first name on his lips still made her heart skip. Damn it. He noticed the crack in her bravado right away, and he leaned forward again, latching on to that one second of weakness.

Yet, Tala was still an Odto, one used to the intense gaze of people watching her every move and waiting for every mistake. The blush on her cheeks was the only indication that he affected her, because otherwise her voice was strong.

“I don’t know what you’re planning to do with Oratihon or what trick you have up your sleeve but I’m on to you. This is my parents you’re involving, so I _will_ be here to watch your every step.”

“And if I misstep, whatever shall you do?”

“I’ll think of something.”

“That’s cute.” Reza relaxed then, and waved his two henchmen away. The two exited the room obediently, as he continued to speak, “But I promise you my intentions are all pure and good.”

Tala let out a sarcastic laugh, not believing that for a second. Somehow, being alone with Reza was scarier than when he had his people there outnumbering her. Still, she persisted. “The people of Oratihon need your help and you’ve been giving it and I’m thankful for that. But please don’t use countless innocents as your pawns.”

“What is everyone else but a pawn?” Reza said, examining his fingernails.

“Hey!” Tala snapped, and the bite in her voice made Reza look up and glare at her, coldly. “Leave them alone. I swear, Reza—”

“You swear _what_ , Miss Dizon?” Reza stood, drawing up to his full height. She was a tiny figure but Reza had to give it to her, she did not back down, did not squirm, did not show any fear, even as he approached her, even as they stood a mere breath apart.

“I swear to Batala, I will kill you.” Tala hissed.

“Strong words from such a soft girl.” Reza’s knuckles brushed against her cheek, and she slapped his hand away.

“I follow through on my words, strong or otherwise.”

Reza drew his hand back, “Well, I guess you’ll have to stick around to keep an eye on me.”

“I just said I will.”

“If that’s the case, would you accompany me for dinner?” He checked his watch and gave her a small, even charming, smile.

Tala, completely thrown off, blinked.

“Did—Were we not having the same conversation?”

“You intend to keep an eye on me, and I intend to prove I simply want the best for the refugees of Oratihon. We can talk about my plans over dinner.”

“No!” She snapped, a little too quickly. “You are not gonna charm me into bringing my guard down.”

Reza chuckled, a rich, wonderful laugh, “You think I’m charming?”

“Goodbye, Mr. Awitan.” Tala had already turned back, but not before Reza caught a glimpse of her very red face.

“I’ll see you tomorrow for breakfast, then.” He called after her as she stomped out the door.

“No, you won’t!” She called over her shoulder before she closed the door behind her.

* * *

Yes, she did. Because when she went to check on her parents in the refuge the morning after, they were sitting on a table with Reza, laughing about something he just said. Shocking to think he had a sense of humor, much less one that would make her own father laugh.

“Tala.” Reza said as greeting.

“Mr. Awitan. I’m surprised you found the time out of your busy schedule to join us for breakfast.” Tala said, with a bright smile that fooled both of her parents. But not Reza. Never Reza.

“Please, call me Reza. Your mother and I will be working closely, after all. There’ll be no need for formalities if we are to see each other often.”

Tala gritted her teeth, still standing by the table, refusing to sit. Her parents were sitting across each other. If she took the only available seat now, she’d have no choice but to look at Reza in the face.

“Reza was just telling us about his restaurant out in Paros.” Mr. Dizon said.

Tala froze.

“Oh?” She said, mildly, meeting Reza’s gaze. With her parents’ attention focused on her, the amused smile on Reza’s face was back. She squinted her eyes at him, and she saw him release a quiet snort of laughter before picking up the cup of coffee in front of him to drink.

“Yes, very unfortunate that it was recently destroyed.”

“That’s terrible. What happened to it?” Tala put a hand on top of his in a gesture of sympathy, which made Reza freeze. She squeezed his hand in warning. He slowly set his cup of coffee down.

“A terrible explosion. We suspect it was a gas leak.” Reza said, going along with the act. He turned his hand around so he can graze his fingers gently against her wrist, up to her palm, and finally interlocking his fingers with hers before he pulled away completely. Tala swallowed at that one second of contact, as her parents’ attention were still, mercifully, on her face.

“And I heard Reza here got injured because he was in the restaurant during the explosion.” Mrs. Dizon said.

“It’s a miracle you’re still alive, and I’m glad you are. This refuge you made has given safety to many families that no longer have a home.” Mr. Dizon now turned to Reza.

“Yeah. A miracle.” Tala repeated, finally sitting down across Reza, slightly concerned at how they’re keeping a secret between them from her parents.

“I still have the mark from that explosion on my neck. I suspect it’s going to leave a scar.”

“That’s what we were talking about. Your dad thought the scar looked like a bite mark. Reza here said it would be unfortunate if anyone actually tried to bite him.”

“Oh, yeah? Why is that?” Tala kicked Reza under the table, widening her eyes at him. His eyes grew cold. She glared back. He rolled his eyes and turned back to her parents with a carefree laugh,

“I don’t taste very good. All the stress would probably make my blood taste terrible, is what I said. It’s probably highly poisonous.”

“Bless the girl who tries.” Mrs. Dizon laughed.

“ _Mom! Inappropriate!_ ” Tala whined, whipping around to her mother as both her dad and Reza laughed along with her mother.

Nope. No. This was not happening. Not her parents bonding with what was essentially a supervillain.

“Don’t worry, I found it funny as well.” Reza said, “Unfortunately, my schedule has made it near impossible for me to… share time with anyone else but I suspect that will change soon.”

“Oh?” Another forced grin from Tala. God, her face hurt.

“I’ve sent my best people to take care of most of my other businesses so I can focus on watching over the relief efforts here in Oratihon. It’s my money being used to fund this place, after all. I want to make sure it’s going to the right people.”

Tala blinked.

She held Reza’s gaze then, and she searched his face for any sign of irony, or trickery, or even a sense of amusement. But no. He was… serious. That may have been the most genuine thing he had ever said.

It was confusing as hell.

“Well, that and the theater.” Reza continued, “I want to prioritize rebuilding it as well. That way, we can open it to the public and your company can start producing shows there again for people to see.”

“You’d prioritize rebuilding a theater but not new housing?” Tala said, raising an eyebrow suspiciously.

“That’s the government’s responsibility, not mine. I’ve already donated a lot for this refuge so people can have a warm bed to sleep in but this is only a temporary solution. I can’t afford to keep it around for longer than three months.” Reza shrugged, “At the end of the day, it’s the government that has to think of long-term solutions for the people left behind.”

Tala opened her mouth, thought better of it then closed her mouth again. Speechless was she when she realized that she agreed with him. Everything he said was right.

It was starting to mess up her perception of him.

“If you need me, I’ll be in my office. I will be staying here to watch over the place, but work follows me wherever I go.” Reza stood, and her parents bade him warm farewells.

It was in that moment when she and Reza locked eyes that Tala felt something that wasn’t just mistrust and fear.

* * *

Reza wasn’t joking when he said that work was following him around. His henchmen came and went constantly throughout the next two weeks, and most of the time, he was in his office—a small room that was in a separate part of the refuge. He’d come out so he can check on the needs of the refugees, but for the most part, he kept to himself.

The refuge itself was an old building that used to be a hospital. Reza had apparently bought the building to make a hotel because it was in a desirable, accessible part of Oratihon. Now, with it being used as a refuge, it was home to a lot of poor families and it was out of sheer goodwill that was keeping it running. That, and Reza’s strict maintenance of security and cleanliness. That was what most of his money was going to: making sure the place was safe and running hygienically.

It was mostly up to the Dizons to feed the people, organizing with the rest of the upperclass to get funds and donations to feed and clothe the rest who couldn’t afford it. The victims were mostly the poor after all, the ones who needed the most help with rebuilding.

Tala herself was hands on with the relief operations, but especially in the distribution of food. She spent most of her time in the kitchen making sure the refuge had enough stock.

It was normal, at that point, for her to be in the kitchen by herself at night, alone, meal planning for the next day. But there was one night that was different.

She didn’t know at what point she fell asleep on the kitchen counter until she heard the fridge door open and she straightened up to find a soft blanket draped over her shoulder. She drew the blanket closer to herself as she stood, walking towards the fridge.

“Hi, can I help you?” She asked. The door closed to reveal Reza with a bottle of water in hand. She blinked at him and he stared back for a moment before he said, “Did I wake you? I thought I was being quiet.”

“No, you were. I’m just a light sleeper.”

“You should go back to your room, then. You always stay here late at night, your back must be killing you.” He brushed past her, and without looking over his shoulder said, “You can keep the blanket in the meantime.”

* * *

Tala decided to give the blanket back the next night. It smelled too much like Reza—like cigarettes and earthy, woody cologne. It felt too much like he was there with her in her room, and the thought both terrified and excited her. Such confusion would not help her get a good night’s rest, so she knocked on his office door with that blanket on one hand and a box of cookies in the other.

“To what do I owe the pleasure?” Reza asked when he opened the door for her. He didn’t wait for her to answer, instead he stepped back in the room and sat down behind his desk, papers neatly stacked at one side. He closed his laptop just as he said, “Close the door behind you.”

“I—I don’t want to go in.”

Reza quirked an eyebrow up at her, “Afraid you’d enjoy my company too much?”

“No, I just don’t want to go in.”

“Why is that?”

_Because I’m afraid I’d enjoy your company too much._

Tala didn’t answer. Instead, she simply stepped inside and used her elbow to close the door behind her.

“I just wanted to give this back.” She said, setting the blanket down on top of his laptop. “And also wanted to give you something to eat. You’re always working. This is just to give you a bit more energy.” She put the box of cookies down.

“Thank you.”

Reza reached for the cookies immediately, and Tala, by sheer instinct, reached out to take his hand in both of hers to stop him, immediately regretted it and let go, putting her hands behind her back for good measure.

“No! Haha. Don’t. Let me leave the room first before you try it.” She was already backing away.

“Sit. Stay.” Reza said, reaching for a cookie and motioning to the chair in front of him with it.

Instead of eating it himself, he held the cookie out to her, “Bite.” He said. Tala hesitated, but did as was told anyway. It wasn’t anything special. It tasted like how her cookies usually did. Sweet, still warm because it was freshly baked, and the chocolate chips melted on her tongue.

“How is it?” He asked,

Tala shrugged, “It tastes like my usual cookies.”

Reza popped the cookie she had bitten from in his mouth, as he checked on the papers in front of him, not saying anything. There was just silence as he read his papers, chewing on that one cookie, thoughtfully.

“If it’s bad, just tell me so I don’t have to sit here in agony.” Tala snapped, getting back to her feet and already reaching for the box to take it back. This time, it was Reza taking her hand to stop her from moving.

“If this is how your cookies usually taste like, then I want you to come over more often and bring these with you.”

Tala blushed, snatching her hand back, heart hammering in her chest as he smiled at her. And my god was it a beautiful smile. She turned around, already making a beeline for the door.

“Enjoy the cookies. Good night.” Her hand was already on the door handle when Reza called for her again.

“Actually, Miss Dizon, I was wondering if I could talk to you about something.”

Oh, God if she had to stay with him with her conflicting emotions, she would drown.

“About?” She made the mistake of turning around to look at him.

“The theater.” Was his mild response.

“Why?”

“I want you to write a play to feature for its soft opening once the renovations finish.”

“Me?” There was legitimate fear in Tala’s squeaky voice as she said it.

Reza’s held tilted to one side, “You’re not scared of me but you’re scared of writing a play?”

“You haven’t been to Oratihon much, have you? Or seen any plays here?”

“I know about what happened with your last play, if that’s what you’re concerned about.”

“It is, and if you know about what happened last time, then you know why I’m not the best decision to write a play for your opening.”

“It was deemed as too optimistic and childish by stuffy, old adults. But the play I want to be released will be viewed by the general public, not by Oratihon’s elite. And what the general public needs is optimism and happy endings. They need that escape right now, and your writing could provide that.”

Tala stared at him as he said it. He wasn’t even looking at her, he was still going through his damn papers, occasionally reaching for another cookie to eat.

The way her heart was pounding in her chest was starting to make it clear for her: She didn’t hate him after all.

In fact…

“Why me? And why are you so insistent on opening the theater?”

“Because,” and this time, he did look at her with those dark, piercing eyes, “food and shelter are what people need to survive. But art is what people live for. Let these people experience that.”

He stood and crossed the room, approaching her once again, like he did two weeks ago, but this time, Tala welcomed the warmth that radiated from him as he came close to her, “I know how much the theater means to you. You’d be helping people while doing something you love. It’s why I prioritized its reconstruction.”

Oh no. Oh shit. Not him whispering those words like that.

“You’re doing this for me?” Tala whispered back, because they were so close.

“Mostly you, yes. But I’m serious about it also bringing more joy to the refugees.”

“Why me?”

“Because, Tala.” He leaned closer to her, and his fingers brushed his fingers back behind her ear. The mere contact of his skin on hers made Tala shudder, Her back hit the door and he trapped her between his arms, one hand by her head, the other gently holding her face, his thumb grazing against her red cheeks, “I’ve told you this before. You intrigue me. And I cannot get that dance of yours from our first meeting out of my head. You’ve made a lasting impression, I will admit.”

He was so close now, “And after what you’ve shown these past couple of weeks, after the care you give to other people and your selflessness, I think you deserve the world and I want to be the one to give it to you.”

He was so forward about it. So honest. No holding back. And when he leaned down to kiss her, the kiss was possessive and sure. He knew what he wanted, he told her what he wanted, and…

It was a welcome temptation. To be with someone who just… went for it. Who didn’t hesitate. Who didn’t dance around his desire for her. It made Tala practically melt in Reza’s arms, and he held on to her with hands that were sure, that pulled her closer. He pulled her hands up and pinned them above her head with one hand, while his other wrapped around her waist. His desire practically burned out of him.

Not like—

Tala pulled away, “Wait.” She gasped, and Reza stopped, burying his face in her neck.

“Are we going too fast?” He asked.

 _Yes!_ The part of Tala that still had reason yelled in her mind. The part that was still thinking about Asterio. There was still the guilt from the fact that she left the Kampanaryo and hasn’t replied to his messages since… 

“Maybe.” Is what she actually said, “I just… I think… we should get to know each other more before we do this.”

Reza let her hands go, and straightened up, placing his thumb on her lips before giving her another kiss. Somehow, he still looked impeccable, even with his now tousled hair and her lipstick stains on his mouth and neck. He adjusted his clothes, and ran his fingers through her hair to comb through the tangles that were his own making, wiping away her smudged lipstick while she fixed her clothing. When they were both decent, Reza opened the door for her, and with a smile, said, 

“Great. Let me know when you’re free for dinner.”

And Tala stepped out that door seriously considering dinner with him, pursuing whatever this was with him. Because at least he was sure of what he wanted, and even if things fell apart, she would expect it. No friendship would be ruined, and she’d be able to live the rest of her life without talking to him again. Maybe that’s what she needed at the moment.

It wouldn’t be like that if she would be with Asterio… Hell, she didn’t even know if what she felt for Asterio was genuine or if she was just projecting all those years of missing him onto present him.

She didn’t know. She didn’t know and that’s what scared her about Asterio is that if she made one wrong move, everything would fall apart between them and nothing will be the same and she would regret ever being with him.

The one thing she did know was this: Reza was interested in her, and her initial judgment of him was slowly fading.

Perhaps, she was very wrong about him, and getting to know this side of him would be best. Maybe for now, he was the best decision for her.


End file.
